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ISPs may offer broadband plus unlimited music downloads

In further attempts to combat illegal downloading of music, behold the ISP service bundled with unlimited music downloads.

One of the biggest record labels, Warner Music has called for ISPs to charge a flat fee for unlimited access to their record library, after consulting with industry veteran and former head of Geffen records, Jim Griffin.  In an exclusive interview with Portfolio.com, he said: “Today, it has become purely voluntary to pay for music.  If I tell you to go listen to this band, you could pay, or you might not. It’s pretty much up to you.”

His comments are most certainly true.  And the music industry has long been looking into ways of combatting illegal music downloads through file-sharing applications that are contributing to fledgling music sales.  Music was at one point a physical product that people went to buy on CD or Vinyl from a shop, but that was before the Internet (and Broadband) came along.

On the face of it, charging a flat fee sounds interesting.  No pay per song as it’s done in one monthly payment.  Denmark’s biggest ISP TDC, is doing just that.  It’s announced the launch of a music download service to its mobile and broadband customers, with a music library from EMI, Warner and Sony BMG.  But the songs come with DRM (Digital Rights Management), and if the user left the ISP, it would stop working after 30 days.

DRM is a thorny issue with some users.  After all, when you buy a CD, you aren’t restricted to making your own personal copies.  But there are industry concerns.  If users download literally everything they can within a month on such a plan, there’s nothing stopping them sharing the music online again when there is no DRM.

Another question is whether ISPs would bundle the unlimited music downloads fee with all their packages, or will the customer have a choice?  If it comes as standard then it will become a “music tax” for those who do not require such a service.

All the big music chiefs appear to be in talks with UK ISPs at the moment on establishing a business model that will benefit the record companies, the ISPs and the end consumer.  One to watch.